Water ejectable umbrella

ABSTRACT

A water ejectable umbrella includes a water conduit which is disposed in a tubular stem and which has axially extending water drawing and expelling ducts that are communicated with each other by a transit chamber formed in a handle end portion of the stem. A plunger has a plunger head which is disposed in and which is movable relative to the transit chamber to perform a drawing stroke, during which a reduced pressure is created in the chamber for drawing water through the water drawing duct into the chamber, and an expelling stroke, during which the water in the chamber is pressurized to rush through the water ejecting duct so as to be ejected out of a spout proximate to an upper end of the stem.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an umbrella, more particularly to a waterejectable umbrella which can eject a stream of water from a top of astem thereof to serve as a toy for children.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional umbrella generally includes a stem on which a runner isslidably mounted for spreading and collapsing a canopy and rib assembly.Umbrellas generally provide protection against the weather. However, itwould be desirable to have an umbrella that can also serve as a playingfor children.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a water ejectableumbrella which can eject a stream of water from a top of a stem thereofto serve as a toy water gun for children.

According to this invention, the water ejectable umbrella includes atubular stem elongated along an axis, and including a canopy mountingend portion, a handle end portion opposite to the canopy mounting endportion along the axis, and a middle runner sliding portion disposedbetween the handle end portion and the canopy mounting end portion. Thecanopy mounting end portion confines a passage which extends along theaxis to the middle runner sliding portion and which terminates at upperand lower ports that are respectively formed in the canopy mounting endportion and the middle runner sliding portion. The handle end portionconfines therein a transit chamber which extends along the axis andwhich is communicated with the lower port for receiving water therein. Arunner is slidably sleeved on the middle runner sliding portion of thestem, and is movable between upper and lower positions, which arerespectively proximate to the canopy mounting end portion and the handleend portion. A canopy and rib assembly is mounted pivotally on thecanopy mounting end portion, and is coupled to and is moved with therunner between spread-out and collapsed positions that correspond to theupper and lower positions, respectively. A water conduit includes awater drawing duct which extends parallel to the axis and which isdisposed upstream of the transit chamber so as to permit passage ofwater drawn from a reservoir into the transit chamber, and a waterejecting duct which is disposed in the passage and downstream of thetransit chamber and which extends along the axis to terminate at a spoutthat is proximate to the upper port. A plunger has a plunger head whichis disposed in the transit chamber, and which is movable within thetransit chamber relative to the handle end portion to perform a drawingstroke, during which a reduced pressure is created in the transitchamber, thereby drawing water from the reservoir through the waterdrawing duct into the transit chamber, and to perform an expellingstroke, during which the water in the transit chamber is pressurized torush through the water ejecting duct so as to be ejected out of thespout, and an actuated shank which extends from the plunger headoutwardly of the handle end portion for moving the plunger head.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a first preferred embodiment of a waterejectable umbrella according to this invention when collapsed;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a plunger of the firstpreferred embodiment in an expelling stroke;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the plunger of the firstpreferred embodiment in a drawing stroke; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a second preferred embodimentof a water ejectable umbrella according to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it shouldbe noted that same reference numerals have been used to denote likeelements throughout the specification.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first preferred embodiment of a waterejectable umbrella according to the present invention is shown tocomprise a tubular stem 10, a runner 40, a canopy and rib assembly 30, awater conduit 17, and a plunger 20.

The tubular stem 10 is elongated along an axis (L), and includes acanopy mounting end portion 12, a handle end portion 19 opposite to thecanopy mounting end portion 12 along the axis (L), and a middle runnersliding portion 11 disposed between the handle end portion 19 and thecanopy mounting end portion 12. The canopy mounting end portion 12confines therein a passage 14 which extends along the axis (L) to themiddle runner sliding portion 11 and which terminates at upper and lowerports 141, 142 that are respectively formed in the canopy mounting endportion 12 and the middle runner sliding portion 11. A handgrip 18 issleeved on the handle end portion 19, and extends downwardly along theaxis (L) to define therein a transit chamber 13 which is communicatedwith the lower port 142 of the passage 14 for receiving water therein.The runner 40 is slidably sleeved on the middle runner sliding portion11 of the stem 10, and is movable between upper and lower positions,which are respectively proximate to the canopy mounting end portion 12and the handle end portion 19. The canopy and rib assembly 30 is mountedpivotally on the canopy mounting end portion 12, and is coupled to andmoved with the runner 40 between spread-out and collapsed positions,which correspond to the upper and lower positions, respectively. Sincethe construction of the runner 40 and the canopy and rib assembly 30 ishitherto known, a description thereof is dispensed with herein for thesake of brevity.

The water conduit 17 is in the form of a flexible hose, and is receivedin the passage 14 along the axis (L). The water conduit 17 has upper andlower ends 171, 172 extending upwardly and downwardly of the upper andlower ports 141, 142, respectively. A water-tight seal plate 131 issecured in the lower port 142, and is disposed to retain the lower end172 of the water conduit 17 such that the passage 14 is fluidlycommunicated with the transit chamber 13 through the water conduit 17.

The water conduit 17 includes a water drawing duct which is disposedupstream of the transit chamber 13 so as to permit passage of waterdrawn from a reservoir (not shown) into the transit chamber 13, and awater ejecting duct which is disposed downstream of the transit chamber13 and which extends along the axis (L) to terminate at a spout that isproximate to the upper port 141. In this embodiment, the water drawingduct and the water ejecting duct are integrally formed in the waterconduit 17 such that the upper end 171 can serve as the spout and permitwater to be drawn into the transit chamber 13 therethrough.

The plunger 20 includes a plunger head 22 which is disposed in thetransit chamber 13, and which is movable within the transit chamber 13along the axis (L) relative to the handle end portion 19, and anactuated shank 21 which has an engaging end portion 212 that is formedwith a retaining head 213 secured in a groove 221 in the plunger head22, and an operation end portion 214 that extends from the engaging endportion 212 downwardly and outwardly of the handgrip 18 and that isprovided with an operating knob 211 which is conveniently operable tomove the plunger head 22.

In use, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the plunger head 22 is moved alongthe axis (L) away from the passage 14 to increase the volume of thetransit chamber 13 so as to perform a drawing stroke (see FIG. 3),during which a reduced pressure is created in the transit chamber 13,thereby drawing water from the reservoir (not shown) through the upperend 171 (see FIG. 1) of the water conduit 17 (i.e. the water drawingduct) into the transit chamber 13. The plunger head 22 is also movablealong the axis (L) close to the passage 14 to decrease the volume of thetransit chamber 13 so as to perform an expelling stroke (see FIG. 2),during which the water in the transit chamber 13 is pressurized to rushthrough the water conduit 17 (i.e. the water ejecting duct) so as to beejected out of the upper end 171 (i.e. the spout). Preferably, the waterconduit 17 has an inner diameter which is smaller than that of thetransit chamber 13 such that the water is ejected in a stream.

As illustrated, the umbrella according to this invention can be used asa toy water gun for children while providing protection against theweather.

Referring to FIG. 4, the second preferred embodiment of a waterejectable umbrella according to this invention is shown to be similar tothe previous embodiment in construction. The differences reside in thatthe handgrip 18 defines a water storage space 15 therein, and has anopening 181 for introducing water into the water storage space 15. Theopening 181 is closable by a plug 16. A tubular seat 25 is secured inthe water storage space 15, and defines the transit chamber 13 therein.The water conduit 17 has upper and lower segments 173, 174 coupled withtwo opposite ends of the tubular seat 21 along the axis (L) to becommunicated with the transit chamber 13 so as to serve as the waterexpelling duct and the water drawing duct, respectively. Thus, the lowersegment 174 is disposed in the water storage space 15 to communicate thewater storage space 15 with the transit chamber 13. Moreover, a firstcheck valve 51 is disposed between the lower segment 174 and the transitchamber 13 so as to permit water to flow only from the water storagespace 15 into the transit chamber 13. A second check valve 52 isdisposed between the upper segment 173 and the transit chamber 13 so asto permit water to flow only from the transit chamber 13 into the uppersegment 173.

Besides, the plunger 20 extends in a radial direction relative to theaxis (L) such that the plunger head 22 is movable in the radialdirection in the transit chamber 13. A biasing member 23 is disposedbetween the plunger head 22 and an inner wall of the tubular seat 25 soas to bias the plunger head 22 away from the axis (L). In use, theplunger head 22 is moved by pressing the operating lever 211 toward theaxis (L) against the biasing action of the biasing member 23 in anexpelling stroke to decrease the volume of the transit chamber 13 so asto pressurize the water therein, thereby expelling the water out of theupper segment 173 of the water conduit 17. When the operating lever 211is released, in a drawing stroke, the plunger head 22 is moved away fromthe axis (L) by the biasing action of the biasing member 23 to increasethe volume of the transit chamber 13 so as to create a reduced pressurein the transit chamber 17, thereby drawing the water from the waterstorage space 15 into the transit chamber 13. As such, water streams canbe ejected continuously from the upper end 171 of the upper segment 173to enhance the fun of playing with the umbrella of this invention.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatis considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements includedwithin the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations andequivalent arrangements.

1. A water ejectable umbrella comprising: a tubular stem elongated alongan axis, and including a canopy mounting end portion, a handle endportion opposite to said canopy mounting end portion along the axis, anda middle runner sliding portion disposed between said handle end portionand said canopy mounting end portion, said canopy mounting end portionconfining a passage which extends along the axis to said middle runnersliding portion and which terminates at upper and lower ports that arerespectively formed in said canopy mounting end portion and said middlerunner sliding portion, said handle end portion confining therein atransit chamber which extends along the axis and which is communicatedwith said lower port for receiving water therein; a runner slidablysleeved on said middle runner sliding portion of said stem, and movablebetween upper and lower positions, which are respectively proximate tosaid canopy mounting end portion and said handle end portion; a canopyand rib assembly mounted pivotally on said canopy mounting end portion,and coupled to and moved with said runner between spread-out andcollapsed positions, which correspond to the upper and lower positions,respectively; a water conduit including a water drawing duct whichextends parallel to the axis and which is disposed upstream of saidtransit chamber so as to draw water from a reservoir into said transitchamber, and a water ejecting duct which is disposed in said passage anddownstream of said transit chamber and which extends along the axis toterminate at a spout that is proximate to said upper port; and a plungerhaving a plunger head which is disposed in said transit chamber, andwhich is movable within said transit chamber relative to said handle endportion to perform a drawing stroke, during which a reduced pressure iscreated in said transit chamber, thereby drawing water from thereservoir through said water drawing duct into said transit chamber, andto perform an expelling stroke, during which the water in said transitchamber is pressurized to rush through said water ejecting duct so as tobe ejected out of said spout, and an actuated shank which extends fromsaid plunger head outwardly of said handle end portion and which isoperable to move said plunger head.
 2. The water ejectable umbrella ofclaim 1, wherein said water drawing duct is disposed in said passage,and is formed integrally with said water expelling duct, said spoutbeing configured to permit passage of water drawn through said spoutinto said transit chamber.
 3. The water ejectable umbrella of claim 2,wherein said plunger extends along the axis such that said plunger headis movable along the axis away from said passage to increase volume ofsaid transit chamber so as to create the reduced pressure in saidtransit chamber during the drawing stroke, and is movable along the axisclose to said passage to decrease the volume of said transit chamber soas to pressurize the water therein during the expelling stroke.
 4. Thewater ejectable umbrella of claim 3, wherein said water conduit has aninner diameter which is smaller than that of said transit chamber. 5.The water ejectable umbrella of claim 1, wherein said water conduit hasupper and lower segments disposed at two opposite ends of said transitchamber along the axis to serve as said water expelling duct and saidwater drawing duct, respectively.
 6. The water ejectable umbrella ofclaim 5, wherein said handle end portion defines a water storage spacetherein, and has an opening for introducing water into said waterstorage space, said lower segment of said conduit being disposed in saidwater storage space to communicate said water storage space with saidtransit chamber, said umbrella further comprising: a first check valvedisposed between said lower segment of said conduit and said transitchamber so as to permit water to flow only from said water storage spaceinto said transit chamber during the drawing stroke, a second checkvalve disposed between said transit chamber and said upper segment ofsaid conduit so as to permit water to flow only from said transitchamber into said upper segment during the expelling stroke.
 7. Thewater ejectable umbrella of claim 6, wherein said plunger extends in aradial direction relative to the axis such that said plunger head ismovable in the radial direction away from the axis to increase volume ofsaid transit chamber so as to create the reduced pressure with in saidtransit chamber during the drawing stroke, and close to the axis todecrease the volume of said transit chamber so as to pressurize thewater therein during the expelling stroke.
 8. The water ejectableumbrella of claim 7, further comprising a biasing member disposed tobias said plunger head away from the axis.